Signature feed device



Aug. 16, 1960 w. L. FIELDS ETAL 2,949,293

SIGNATURE FEED DEVICE S Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 2, 1956 w TORNEYS INVENTORSZ I WILLIAM LESLIE FIELDS CLAYBORN Y. CAIN BY: wzd /q,

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SIGNATURE FEED DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 2, 1956 FIG. 6

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- "AT ORNEYS 6, 1960 w. FIELDS ET AL 2,949,293

SIGNATURE FEED DEVICE Filed March 2, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 35 FIG. 8

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EMA rm ATT RNEYS Unite SIGNATURE FEED DEVICE Filed Mar. 2, 1956, Ser. No. 569,043

8 Claims. (Cl. 270- 56) This invention relates to a signature feeding device and more particularly to a calipering device for a gathering machine used to bring signatures together to form a book or the like.

A book of many pages involves the assembly of a number of signatures each comprising a number of sheets, for example, eight, sixteen or twenty-four pages as the case may be. In printing the book, the signatures are first formed and then may be assembled by hand one on top of the other to make up the continuously numbered pages of the book. In the past, this has been done by a number of workmen individually taking the signatures and adding them to a pile of signatures traveling past a work station so that individual books comprising the collection of signatures would result at. the end of the line. It is, of course, important and desirable that each book include each and every page intended to be included and have no duplication or omissions of pages. The present invention is concerned with a mechanism used to gather the signatures mechanically and a calipering or sensing unit operating in conjunction with the gathering mecha nism to indicate whether signatures of proper size are transferred onto the pile making up the book. This calipering device insurmthat the signatures are fed one at a time, that each signature contains the proper number of pages and that a signature is fed with each operation of the feeding device.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a new and improved signature feeding device.

Another object is to provide a mechanism for sensing and indicating when the signature feeding device operates improperly.

Another object is to provide a sensing and indicating mechanism for operating with a signature feeding device for insuring the proper inclusion of all the pages in a collection of signatures for a book or the like without duplication or omission of pages. 7

A further object is to provide sensing mechanism operable with a signature gathering mechanism which may be adjusted to accommodate signatures of different thicknesses whether due to the paper bearing the printing or because of the number of pages in a signature.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings inwhich:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevational view partly in section through the signature gathering mechanism and indicating device taken generally along line 11 in Figure 4'.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional View through co operating jaws of the signature gathering mechanism taken substantially along line 22 of Figure 4.

Figure 3 is a plan view of one lever of the sensing and actuating mechanism removed from the apparatus.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the signature gathering mechanism embodying the present invention.

Figure 5 is a side elevational view partly in section of States Patent 2,949,293 Patented Aug. 16, 1960 2 the gathering mechanism shown in position with a signature of proper thickness in the jaws and illustrating the position of the parts under this condition.

Figure 6 is a plan view of the movable jaw removed from the mechanism.

Figure 7 is a plan view of the cam for-operating the sensing mechanism removed from the apparatus.

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 5 showing the position of the parts when no material is gripped in the aws.

1 Figure 9 is a view similar to Figures 5 and 8 showing the position of the parts when the jaws are gripping material of greater thickness than a single signature; and

Figure 10 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 8 showing the position of the parts when the jaws are open.

Referring particularly to Figure 4, a signature S is shown in dotted outlines as gripped within the jaws of the gathering mechanism which is carried upon the base 12 in a back and forth motion to transfer the signature from a supply position to a position upon a stack of signatures which eventually will go to make up a book. Ordinarily, a gathering machine will have a battery of signature carry-ing members such as the one illustrated in the drawings. Each carrying member will transfer a signature to a stack as the stacks move laterally under the discharge position. The signatures fed in each adjacent position in the battery will comprise a number of pages of the book which are to succeed those of the preceding signature deposited upon the stack. Thus, a machine having a sufiicient number of signature carrying members could compile a suflicient number of signatures to constitute all of the pages of the book and produce books in production line like fashion.

The signatures comprise folded pages fed toward the gathering mechanism in a spaced relationship so thateach signature may be individually grasped and carried to a depositing position. A pair of jaws including a fixed jaw 13 and a movable jaw 14 are provided for grasping the folded edge of the signature S. These jaws carried upon the base 12 are operated in timed relation with the reciprocation of the base to effect the grasping and release of the signatures. In the structure illustrated, it is preferred to provide a pair of fixed jaws 13 which have a supporting structure 13 (Fig. 4) mounted directly upon the base 12 and to provide a pair of movable jaws 14, one for cooperating with each fixed jaw.

The shape of the movable jaw is illustrated in Figure 6. Each jaw 14 has a bore 116 for receiving a shaft 15. A gripping surface -17 contacts either the signature or the fixed jaw and is held in contact by spring pressure. An outwardly extending finger 18 on each jaw is used to open and close the jaws. Referring particularly to Figures 2 and 4, it will be noted that a rod 19 is secured by a pin 24 to a rearwardly extending portion 21 of each jaw 14, with the rod being surrounded by a compression spring Q2 which acts through the rod and pin to urge gripping surface 17 against fixed jaw 13. A nut like member 23 is pierced by each rod 19 and provides a hearing surface for each spring 22 :by means of a spherical surface 24 against an upstanding part of a bifurcated abutment 25 fixed to the base. An appropriate bar or part of the mechanism is provided for engaging the upwardly extending fingers 18 on the movable jaws for moving the jaws away from the fixed jaw :13. In the act of causing the fingers 18 to move in the direction of the arrow 26 in Fig. 2, the pins 20 pass over center with respect to the rod :15 on which jaws .14 are pivoted to force the jaws to their open positions as is illustrated in Figure 10. This position will be maintained by the pressure of the springs 22 until the finger 18 is contacted again,

by an abutment to over-center the spring in the opposite direction thus closing the jaws. In operation, the jaws of the carrying member are opened and remain open as they approach the supply of signatures. When in posi tion, the movable jaws are tripped over center so as to grip a signature. The device then transfers the signature towards its release position wherein the movable jaws are again tripped to open and release the signature.

In the present device, an indicating mechanism is provided for either stopping the machinery or giving a warning that the machinery is operating improperly. In Fig ure 1, the indicating means generally designated 30 includes a mercury switch 31 mounted upon a swing platform 312 biased by a spring 33 in a counterclockwise direction about its pivot support 34. A detector finger 35 pivoted at 35 extends downwardly to a horizontal path indicated by the dash line 56. Ordinarily, the signature transferring mechanism will not extend above the path 36 if it is functioning properly, that is to say, it is gripping a signature of the desired thickness. Should the material in the jaws be of either greater or lesser thickness than a single signature, at part of the actuating and sensing mechanism will extend into the path 36 so as to contact the detector finger swinging it away from the ledge 32 allowing the platform 3-2 to swing counterclockwise actuating the mercury switch so as to provide either a warning or other controls stopping the machinery.

In order to provide a sensing mechanism which may detect the thickness of material :both greater and lesser in thickness than a single signature, a lever system is employed to form a part of the actuating means. This actuating means is operated by the movements of one of the movable jaws 14 and is sensitive to its position when gripping a signature. The lower jaw 14 in Fig. 4 is fixed to the shaft 15 so that a cam 37 also fixed to the shaft will move commensurate with the movements of this jaw. The outer end 38 of the cam is in contact with an adjustment screw 39 carried by a first lever 40 of the actuating mechanism. Lever 40 has a fixed pivot 41 and a freely movable opposite end 42, but is urged upwardly to maintain the adjustment screw in contact with the cam by means of a compression spring 43 mounted in the base *12. A bell crank lever 44 is mounted on the upper part of the carrying member by a fixed pivot pin 45; A compression spring 46 under one end of the bell crank urges it in a clockwise direction about its pivot. A connecting link member 47 is pivoted to the outer end 42 of the first lever and has an L-shaped upper end 48 overlying the end 49 of the bell crank in order to resist the force supplied to the bell crank by the spring 46.

In Figure 1 of the drawings, the position of the jaws closed upon a signature of the desired thickness illustrates the position of the lever system so as to avoid the operation or tripping of the indicating device. It will be noted that the upper surface 58 of the connecting link and the uppermost point 51 on the 'bell crank lever are substantially in a plane and just below the path 36 intersecting the lowermost point on the detector finger 35.

In this condition of gripping a desired thickness of material in the jaws, an adjustment should be made by means of the screw 39 to bring the surfaces 50 and 51 into the same plane. ture carrying member will not effect the indicating mechanism so long as the same thickness of material enters and is gripped in the jaws each time.

The condition of the apparatus is such that it is quite sensitive to the thickness of material in the jaws. Referring to Figure 8, the condition is illustrated in which no material is in the jaws and the jaws are closed one against the other. In this condition, the cam 37 bears downwardly on the first lever 40 pulling the link member 47 downwardly to turn the bell crank 44 about its pivot so that its upper portion 51 is raised above the path 36 and thus will contact the detector finger 35 on the indicating apparatus. The actual difference between the movement of the movable jaw 14 in the conditions Thereafter, each reciprocation of the signasame extent as occurred in either Figures 1 or 8.

illustrated in Figures 1 and 8 may be quite slight, but the reaction of the sensing lever system is sufiiciently magnified to detect even the absence of a single sheet of paper.

The condition of the sensing mechanism when the jaws are gripping either an overly thick signature or more than one signature is illustrated in Figure 9. Here the signature S is quite thick as compared to the one in Figure 1 so that the movable jaw 14 does not move to the same position relative to the fixed jaw. In this condition, the cam 37 does not force the first lever downwardly to the As a result the spring 43 forces the connecting link member 47 upwardly a sufiicient distance so that its upper surface St) is above the lower end of the detector finger 35 and thus will hit it as the signature is carried toward its release position.

The present mechanism is also adjustable so that it may accommodate signatures of dilferent thicknesses as desired. In order to adjust the mechanism, it is only necessary to place the desired signature in the jaws and then adjustthe position of the screw 39 relative to the first lever 40 to bring the surfaces 50 and 51 into the same plane. Thereafter any material gripped in the jaws which is different from the desired thickness will result in the elevation of one part or the other of the lever system so as to trip the detector finger of the indicating mechanism.

In order to prevent any part of the sensing mechanism from hitting the finger on the return of the mechanism towards the supply of signatures, a hold down lever 53 is mounted on a pin 54 in the frame in position to be contacted by the curved outer surface 55 of the cam 37 and hold the lever system in its inoperative position. As best illustrated in Figure 1-0, the lower end 56 of the hold down lever contacts the upper surface of lever 40 -to hold it down against the pressure of the spring 43 when the jaws are open. This avoids the necessity of providing an additional pivoted connection for the de tector finger or some other means for preventing damage to the equipment upon the return stroke of the carrier.

As previously mentioned and as illustrated in Figure 4, it is. preferred to provide a pair of movable jaws cooperating with fixed jaws. Both movable jaws 14 move in unison and one is fixed to the shaft 15 by a pin 15a to move cam 37. The cam 37 is also provided with a pin 57 securing it to the shaft 15. The bell crank 44 is supported in an attaching plate 58 secured to the upper side of the base 12, but may be mounted in any desired fashion. The connecting link 47 of the actuating mech anism may be pivoted to the bell crank if so desired; however, in the present instance the lower end is pivoted only to the lever 49 and rests against a vertical surface on the central portion 59 of the base providing a guide against which the link may slide. A leaf spring 60 assures that the link member will stay against the vertical surface during up and down movement. It is contemplated that the structure may be changed without affecting the principles of the operation of the mechanism.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clea-rness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, for some modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

We claim:

1. In a signature feeder, in combination: a reciprocating traveling signature carrying member having jaw means movable between an open position and a signature gripping position; means for indicating whether the jaw means are gripping a single signature of only a predetermined thickness during signature carrying movement including a finger to be engaged during traveling movement of the carrying member; sensing means movable relative to the indicating means during said signature carrying. movement and responsive to the relative position of said gripping jaw means for actuating the indicating means upon said relative movement when the material gripped in the jaw means has a thickness greater or less than said predetermined thickness; and means for adjusting the sensing means to permit the jaw means to grip a single signature of said predetermined thickness wihout actuating the indicating means.

2. The combination specified in claim 1 wherein the actuating means includes a pair of lever means movable by the jaw means into and out of position for engaging the indicating means upon said relative movement with both the lever means maintained out of said position by the jaw means when gripping a single signature.

3. The combination specified in claim 1 in which the actuating means includes a bell crank lever movable in response to the movement of the jaw means to position an end of the lever in position to engage the indicating means when the material in the jaws is of a thickness less than said predetermined thickness.

4. In a signature feeder, in combination: a reciprocating traveling signature carrying member having jaw means movable between an open position and a signature gripping position; means for indicating whether the jaw means are gripping only one signature of predetermined thickness during signature carrying movement; actuating means movable relative to the indicating means during said signature carrying movement and responsive to relative spacing of the jaw means for operating said indicating means including a first element operative only when the material in the jaws is thinner than said one signature of said predetermined thickness and a second element operative only when material in the jaws is thicker than said one signature of said predetermined thickness; and means for adjusting said actuating means to an inoperative position when the jaws are gripping a single signature of desired thickness.

5. In a signature feeder, in combination: a reciprocating traveling signature carrying member having jaw means movable between an open position and a signature gripping position; stationary means adjacent the carrying member for indicating whether the jaw means are gripping more or less material than one signature of predetermined thickness during signature carrying movement; an actuator lever system responsive to the relative position of said gripping jaw means for actuating the indicating means when the material gripped in the jaw means has a thickness diflferent than said predetermined thickness, said lever system having portions movable into a position for contacting the indicating means upon move ment of the carrying member and when the material gripped in the jaw means is greater or less than said predetermined thickness; and adjusting means for changing the relative position of the lever system and jaw means to permit the jaws to grip single signatures of difierent predetermined thickness without actuating the indicating means.

6. The combination as specified in claim 5 wherein the lever system includes a pivotally mounted first lever responsive to the position of the jaw means when in signature gripping position and a bell crank lever controlled by the first lever for moving an end of the bell crank into and out of position for contacting the indicating means.

7. In a signature feeder, in combination: a traveling signature carrying member having a fixed jaw and a movable jaw relative thereto for gripping and releasing a signature; indicating means mounted on the feeder and having a detector finger positioned adjacent the carrying member adapted to be contacted to indicate whether the jaws are gripping material of a thickness greater or less than the thickness of a single signature of predetermined thickness; actuating means carried by the traveling member for contacting the detector finger including a lever system responsive to the position of the movable jaw, said system including a first lever pivotally mounted for swinging movement in response to movement of the movable jaw, a bell crank lever pivoted for movement into and out of position for engaging the detector finger and means operatively engaging the first lever and bell crank lever, said means being movable into position for engaging said detector finger when the bell crank is out of said position, and out of said position when said bell crank is in said position; and means for adjusting the position of the lever system relative to the movable jaw to permit the jaws to grip single signatures of difierent predetermined thicknesses without actuating the indicating means.

8. In a signature feeder, in combination: a traveling signature carrying member having a fixed jaw and a movable jaw movable relative thereto for gripping and releasing a signature; indicating means mounted on the feeder and having a detector finger positioned adjacent the carrying member adapted to be contacted to indicate whether the jaws are gripping material of a thickness different than the thickness of a single signature; actuating means carried by the traveling member for contacting the detector finger including a lever system responsive to the position of the movable jaw, said system including a first lever pivotally mounted for swinging movement in response to movement of the movable jaw, a bell crank lever pivoted for movement into and out of position for engaging the detector finger, means yieldingly urging the bell crank lever in one direction about the pivot thereof; a link member connecting the first lever and bell crank lever opposing said urging, said link member being movable into position for contacting the detector finger when the jaws grip material of greater thickness than a single signature and said link member moving the bell crank into said position when the jaws grip material of lesser thickness than a single signature; and means for adjusting the position of the lever system relative to the movable jaw to permit the jaws to grip a single signature of desired thickness without actuating the indicating means.

McFarlane Ian. 31, 1939' Stoothofi et a1 Aug. 6, 1957 

